


Change My Past, Save Her Future

by Vanann



Category: The Vampire Diaries & Related Fandoms, The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: F/M, Friendship, Romance, Time Travel, Vampires, Witches
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-04
Updated: 2018-07-04
Packaged: 2019-05-18 01:57:37
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,538
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14843417
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vanann/pseuds/Vanann
Summary: This is another Bonnie and Damon story. It takes place after Bonnie sends Damon home from the prison world… kind of. It also happens to be a do-over on the entire story. Things happen... but in the end there is Bamon. ~Previously Posted on Fanfiction.net~





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Before I start, I just want to reiterate that I do not own The Vampire Diaries. I do not own any of its characters and I mean no offense with my stories.
> 
> Okay, I know I should be focused on working on updating my other stories. But what do you want from me? Inspiration strikes when it strikes.
> 
> So this is another Bonnie and Damon story. It takes place after Bonnie sends Damon home from the prison world… kind of. It also happens to be a do-over on the entire story. I do want. Things happen, but in the end there is Bamon.
> 
> With that…

Mystic Falls Woods

It's funny how things work out. Your most hated enemy… No. No, 'enemy' isn't quite right. Frenemy? Yes. Your most hated frenemy can become the person you rely on most. The person you trust the most, even when you want to shake them. The person most beloved, who ends up willingly (dumbly) sacrificing herself so that you can return to your brother and to the woman that you so idiotically thought that you loved.

How he ever thought it was fair to call that clearly obsessive, torturous, and unhealthy relationship (okay, relationships counting the original clone) is beyond him. But it became very apparent after having spent the past four months with the most frustrating, insanely hilarious, wondrous, delicious smelling, smart, powerful witch. For the first time in… (ever?) he got to experience what it felt like to fall in love. Truly and completely in love.

Not to fall for a face, or with a competition, not with hopes on getting a chance to make up for the past. No. He could honestly say that he knows what it feels like to be privileged enough to be the only person to be allowed passed the walls that she's built up since forever. To be the only one allowed passed her beautiful exterior and granted access to her glorious and breathtakingly stunning soul. He doesn't have to wonder if she is lying to him, she's never minced words where he is concerned. But now, it's not out of hate, but respect and companionship. She is the only person who has ever known all of the horrors that he has committed and not only not shied away, but to deem him still worthy of a chance… of hope.

Truth be told, he's always respected her. From the first moment he saw her… well, truly saw her and not her ancestor, he respected her. Perhaps that is why he never once lied to her. Or maybe that is why he usually saw to it that he was paired up with her. There was no possible way that any of those other idiots could come up with a halfway decent plan. So, it was better to have the two craftiest, smartest, and strongest people working on the problem together. Not only that, but she is the only person that he ever truly let down his guard with, since being turned. He told her his deepest fears, hopes, and regrets and she didn't laugh. She laid her head on his shoulder and told him that anything was possible.

So, there is no way that he could ever go back to the hell show that was his previous relationship. There was no way he could walk away and forget their friendship. There is no way he would have ever left her behind in the prison world.

But alas, here he is.

Damon walked out of the woods that surrounded Mystic Falls, and headed towards the Boarding House. At first, he didn't notice anything was different. Don't get him wrong, hearing birds chirping and the buzzing of people existing for the first time in months, was most certainly different. But he was slightly preoccupied with torturing himself by replaying the look on Bonnie's face when she sent him home. It wasn't until he started putting together that the houses he passed looked exactly the same as they did in the 1994 prison world that he noticed anything was off. The cars were all of the same era. No modern updates to the houses, or any new sleek 2000whatever cars in the drive. No, if Damon had to guess, he would think that he was still in 1994… just the living world.

As that thought crossed his mind, and he was just a few yards from his oversized house, he tuned in to a conversation. "Stefan, I want a chance to be brothers again. I want to try and start over, possibly be friends. I'll do whatever to prove that I mean it this time."

Damon watched as past him talked to the past version of Stefan. All of a sudden, he felt his body being pulled towards that of his past self. Suddenly, he found himself standing in front of the Stefan of 1994. A Stefan who wore a disbelieving, yet hopeful expression. A Stefan who didn't seem to have noticed the two Damons merge into one, as he continued talking.

"…but like I said, the first time you screw up I will end you."

"Right," Damon said. "Look, I know what I just said," Stefan's slightly hopeful expression melted into one of resigned disappointment that he had let himself start to believe Damon, "but I have a whopper of a story to tell you. You won't believe me, but I'm from the future and my body just merged into past Damon's body. I'll tell you everything you need to know, but I need your help to save the woman I love from a sociopathic, siphoning witch, stuck in a 1994 prison world."

"So… you're telling me that you are from the year 2012, and that after you started dating my future girlfriend, who looks exactly like Katherine (which is just weird, by the way), you and I started repairing our relationship. But around that time a bunch of people called Travelers, killed themselves after having all drunk this girl's blood, which because she and apparently I are both doppelgängers has some supernatural ability. And that because of this, they were able to destroy the Other Side? Which your girlfriend's best friend-"

"Bonnie."

"Yes. Which Bonnie was an 'anchor' to, and when she tried to send you back to the living world it failed. Because of this you took her hand, went into some light, and got sent into this alternate dimension, which was a prison world frozen on one day in 1994. And that while you were there, you fell in love with this Bonnie?"

"Yes," Damon said while nodding.

Stefan started laughing, "Man, I never knew you had such a great imagination."

Damon was suddenly in Stefan's face. "I didn't concoct this out of my imagination. You want to know something that I should have no way of knowing? Okay, I know that Zach got a woman named Gail pregnant. They are planning on naming that child Sarah. Want to know something else. Well, in my original timeline, I didn't actually want to reconnect; I wanted to continue to make your life hell. So, I slowly reduced the vervain in Zach and Gail's coffee and eventually started compelling them to let me feed off of them." Damon popped his neck agitatedly, "When you found out you took my ring, and of course I retaliated by doing the thing that would torture you the most. So on May 10, 1994 I waited until dark and I started killing. And I killed Gail and her child. Zach never forgave me, but in the end that didn't really matter because I killed him when I returned to Mystic Falls in 2009. I just told you the worst thing that I have ever done. So, yes Stefan, I am telling the truth. The long, horrible, gritty truth. You can either stake me through the heart right now or help me save the only person who has sacrificed her life over and over and over again for this town, for you, and yeah, even for me."

Stefan stared in horrified acceptance at his brother. "If I help you, wouldn't that mean that everything that you just said would come true? Why would I do that? Why would I allow that?"

"Honestly, I don't truly believe there is a way to send me to the future now."

"What do you mean? How are you planning on helping your Bonnie then?"

"Now, I'm no witch but I have spent a lot of time researching and around witches, so I'm just spit balling here. I think that when my body merged with past me, that I became a definite part of the timeline. Time traveling isn't something that's really able to be done. I think the only reason I am even standing in the past, is because I was in an alternate world that was frozen in 1994 and my little witch just so happens to be extraordinary. So, I think the only way to save Bonnie is for me to relive the next couple of decades, trying to change my past so that I can save her future." He ran a hand through his ink black hair.

Stefan sighed, "So, how do we do that?"

"Well… we are going to need a Sheila on our side. And I don't mean an Australian woman."


	2. Chapter 2

Sheila Bennett's Residence

May 12, 1994

"Explain to me why we need Emily's ancestor to help us." Stefan asked as they were exiting the car.

Damon shrugged and said, "Without her, we don't stand a chance in hell. Besides, she's the one who created the prison world. I need to know if there's any possibility of getting back there." He reached his hand up to knock on the front door, but before he could the door opened.

"Damon and Stefan Salvatore. What business could two vampires want with little old me?" Sheila glared at them.

"If my guess is correct, then you just helped the Gemini coven create a prison world for their wackadoo son. Am I right?"

Sheila's gaze never wavered as she looked at Damon. "And just how do you know that?"

"If I told you that I just left that world a few days ago, would you believe me?"

"That is impossible. To escape, you would need blood and magic of a-"

"Bennett. Yes, I know. Your granddaughter, Bonnie Bennett," Stefan snapped his gaze to Damon, in shock. Why was he just finding out that Bonnie was a Bennett? "Ever the sacrificial martyr, sent me home. The only problems, she's trapped there with Kai and I'm not in 2012."

"If I'm to believe you," she started, "You are from the future. From which you got sent to the prison world, justly so I'd imagine, and my grandbaby sacrificed herself for you. Why would she do that? Why should I believe you?"

"Honestly? It all started when Bonnie brought back Jeremy Gilbert from the dead, and in his place died herself. I, once he finally admitted it of course, had to find a way to bring her back. This involved Qetsiyah to change the anchor from Amara to Bonnie. Now, had I known that witchy would have to feel the pain of every supernatural death, I would have found another way. But once we found out, there wasn't much we could do, because we had to deal with Travelers trying to bring down the Other Side. Honestly, it was a mess and they succeeded. But before they could, Bonnie brought back all the Scooby members that had been killed. When she tried to bring me back, it was too late. So, we stood hand in hand and faced the destruction of the Other Side together. You (oh heads up, you kind of died. Kind of my fault in a roundabout way, but hopefully we can change that this time around) did some kind of spell to keep Bonnie from vanishing with the Other Side, and because I was holding her hand it seemed to work for me. So, we found ourselves in a prison world of May 10th 1994. Now, I thought it was meant for me and I somehow dragged Bonnie into my hell, because of what I had done… Which, hey oh, I didn't do this time around. But after a few months, we realized we weren't alone. Kai had been watching us. Anyway, Bonnie got her powers back, and we tried to hightail it out of dodge, without crazy pants Parker. But, turns out because the world was made to be his prison, he couldn't die. He shot Bonnie with a cross bow and when I tried to help, Bonnie used her powers to send me back. Only, I ended up in this time. I need to find a way to save her."

For a few moments, no one spoke.

"Please. If you don't believe me, look inside my mind. Too many times Bonnie has sacrificed herself for others, not expecting that any of her crappy friends to lift a hand to help. I need to save her. I need to know if there is a way to go back in save her. Can I return to that world, or my timeline and save her?"

"Where is the you of this time?"

"One minute I was standing there watching him talk to Stefan, and the next I was merging into him… me? You get what I mean. I think I am past me."

Sheila sighed and opened the door wider. "You may as well come inside, because there seems to be a lot that we need to discuss and catch up on."

The two men stepped passed the threshold, and followed the witch into her kitchen. "Now, I don't have blood to offer you, but I make a mean Irish coffee."

They sat down and watched her prepare their drinks, and if she was perhaps a tad too heavy handed with the whiskey, no one could fault her. "I'd like not to have to do this, but I think I do need to look inside your mind to understand."

When he nodded, she went to grab her grimoire from the other room and brought it to the table. She flipped through the pages of the tomb until she landed on one for sharing memories.

"I'll need you to try to open your mind, as much as possible. And if you would be so kind as to put a drop of your blood in the bowl… Stefan, you as well. I'd imagine you'd like to see what we are dealing with." After watching the two vampires slice their fingers and donate the blood, Sheila simply reached up and pulled out a couple strands of hair.

Stefan raised a brow, "you don't need to put in blood?"

"I'm not going to willingly bleed in front of a known blood addict and his psychotic brother. Hair works just as well."

Stefan opened his mouth, as if to ask why she made the two of them use blood, but ultimately decided against it and nodded. Sheila added a couple flowers and herbs known to boost psychic energy and memory, before she instructed both of them to take hers and each other's hand. She chanted quietly, at first, and then louder as the spirits granted them access to what should be their futures.

They watched as horror after horror unfolded in their minds. Blood, death, and pain being key factors, especially when Damon was anywhere near Stefan. They watched as everyone who challenged Damon was killed or sacrificed by him… Except for one girl. The witch. The best friend of the girl he decided he wanted, who wore the face of his previous lover. Though he treated her unkindly, he always respected her and trusted her. Unlike his brother, or even the girl he claimed to love. This did not mean, however, that the young witch came out unscathed. No, they watched in sadness, how every single person she cared about was either killed, turned, or just seemingly did not care enough about her.

Sheila was saddened to learn, not of her death, but of how alone her grandbaby would be and feel. She watched in shock as their ancestors turned their backs or used her for their own means. She vowed that she would start training her early. She would definitely not allow Abby to abandon Bonnie to save Elena Gilbert… They could look for another way to look Mikael away, for good.

Stefan was sickened to see, not Damon's worst, but his own. He was so ready to sacrifice anyone and everyone, for a girl who had the same face as Katherine. What? And like her predecessor, she was torn between the two brothers, ultimately picking Damon. Never mind that their relationship was toxic, it seemed that the brothers allowed their feelings for the indecisive girl to excuse every horrible action. Bonnie at one point was friends with Stefan, and yet he was so willing to sacrifice her for someone who did not love him. Viewing it as an outsider, allowed him to see the mistakes he had made. People he had looked over, and people he realized he did not want to lose. Especially a certain fun-loving blonde.

Together the three noticed a shift in focus. Though the witch had died, Damon (king of not caring) was not willing to let her go. How dare she sacrifice herself for some as undeserving as Jeremy Gilbert? They watched as he tried to bribe and deal her back to life. All of this under the guise of 'doing it for Elena' and not at all because the vampire couldn't imagine a life that didn't have the fiery witch in it. They saw the Traveler's and the Other Side coming down. Two out of three were somewhat awed by Damon's willingness to stop existing. The white light eclipsed everything until… Domesticity.

That's really the only word for it… Domestic. Bonnie and Damon found their footing with each other quite quickly and easily. Who would have thought that the two enemies turned regretful allies could laugh so loudly and happily together? Who would have known, once you take out the interference of doppelgängers and cures and originals, that the two would find themselves so completely in one another? Neither seemed to realize how happy they made the other, and both would make weak attempts at keeping the status quo. Thoughts of returning to their respective boyfriend and girlfriend were used as tiny reminders to themselves that they weren't allowed. Did it matter that both couples weren't actually couples at the time of the two roommates' deaths? No. It couldn't. It shouldn't. But it did.

After viewing Kai's reappearance and Bonnie's sacrifice, they saw Damon's appearance in the forest from a few days prior. They all noticed how he stood there, frozen, staring at the same spot as if something, or someone, would appear. He continued standing there in shock that Bonnie would do that, and it wasn't until a sparrow's chirp brought him out of his head. After they saw him merge with his past self, the three observers came to, still holding hands around the table.

"I know I don't deserve yours or anyone else's help, but she does. You see that, right? Everything awful that has happened to her can be traced back to me. Please help me save her. Please send me back to the Prison World. Please." Damon finally asked, once she released his and Stefan's hands.

Sheila looked at him and could see the man that her granddaughter believed could find redemption. "I don't think that I can do that. Time traveling isn't really something that should be able to be done, no matter how much magic. And yet here you are, merged into the you of the past, which means you are meant to be here. If I tried to send you to that world, you would have to wait almost twenty years for yourself and Bonnie to show up. And nothing would have changed for Bonnie. She still would have gone through more heartache and pain than anyone should bear. She still would have died multiple times. So, no I won't do that.

"Normally, I would try to deter you from changing anything, but I think that is the reason why you are here. To change things and do things different this time around; to be the Bennett guardian that you were always meant to be. So do that. And you damn well better be the best guardian. I see the remorse in you, I feel that you have learned what it means to truly love, so turn the page and be a better you this time around." She turned to her gaze onto the other Salvatore, "Both of you need to be better this time around."

They both nodded. Damon stood up and said, "Okay. I can, no, I will be better. I guess now it's just a waiting game." His shoulders sagged a little as he glanced at Stefan. "We should probably leave town. At least until end of summer 2009, give or take. Don't worry Sheila, I won't shirk my duty this time. I'll come back every now and then, to make sure that you guys are doing alright. But I think for now, you guys will be safest without us in town. Plus, people would start to notice that we haven't aged in two decades."

"I think that's for the best. But feel free to call or stop by. Just remember that I can and will put you in your place if needed… Where will you go?"

"I think I should go check in on Jo and her daughter Lucy. If I'm going to do this, I'm going to do this right. I don't ever want Bonnie to be the last surviving Bennett. So, I'm going to do my job and try to track down Ernestine and Rose Bennett's descendants. I didn't exactly keep track of their children the first time through." He shrugged his shoulders and grinned, "Maybe you could help me narrow down possible locations. Besides, don't you think it's about time that the Bennett Coven reforms?"

She smirked, "I do. And I can do a locator spell on my bloodline. It definitely won't tell you names or specific addresses, but like you said, it should help you narrow it down."

"So, what do you say, brother? Ready to finally join up, be brothers, fight for justice and all that jazz?"

Stefan couldn't quite hid his surprised expression, "Is this your way of asking me if I would like to come with you?"

"Well, yeah. Why not. We can at least try. I don't expect you would want to stay with me the whole time, but I figured we can try. If not, that's fine. But would you be open to keeping in touch with me, at least?"

"No," Damon sighed and nodded, "I'll go with you. We should definitely try to stick together, and get to know one another. Plus, I'd like to help you find the remaining Bennetts."

"Well then, you guys go back to the boarding house and I will call you once I have a list of areas to look into." Sheila watched them leave and looked over to the mirror by the front door. In it she saw Emily, Ayana, and Qetsiyah smiling at her and nodding slightly. This time would be different.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, this is what I've got so far. Still no Bonnie, but honestly she's a baby right now and truly doesn't have much to contribute in the way of ideas. So, yeah. Also, sorry it's rush towards the end, I just really want to get the story out of the 90s.
> 
> Please leave a review and let me know how you are liking this story so far. Am I on the right track? Way off base? Let me know. Also, I'm going to do my best to get Stefan so "twue wuv" instead of Elena's version of love.
> 
> That's all for now. Ciao!


	3. Chapter 3

September 2009-Bennett Residence  
“Bonnie Bennett, you better get your butt down here if you hope to have a decent breakfast before school.”  
The sound of someone thundering down the stairs could easily be heard throughout from in the kitchen. How someone so tiny could make it sound like a heard of elephants was in the house, was beyond the occupants of the kitchen, but they had long since come to terms with it.  
“Sorry, mom!” Bonnie rushed into the kitchen, walked over to her grams near the stove, kissed her on her cheek while pilfering a piece of bacon. “I was on the phone with ‘Lena.”  
“How is our girl?” Abby looked at her mother, she didn’t know why but Sheila always seemed slightly on edge around the girl. Not rude, or anything like that, just watchful. Abby, at first assumed it had something to do with the girl’s doppelgänger status and everything that happened with Mikael, but that wasn’t it. There was something that her mother knew that for some reason, she just wouldn’t tell her daughter.  
“She’s okay. I mean, as okay as you can be when both of your parents are dead. That sounds crass, I think Caroline might be rubbing off on me. What I mean is that she has her really bad moments, but I can tell that they are lightening. I think being able to come here and have you, dad, and Grams be parental figures for her helps. Don’t get me wrong, Jenna is great but-“  
“But Jenna is the woman who got you guys all fake ids when you got into high school. Yeah, we know about that.” Grams didn’t even turn to look at Bonnie, but everyone could hear the amusement in her voice.  
“I figured you guys did. What with your guys’ extra “parental” senses; which I know is code for we are witches and super nosey. Not that we ever did anything with them, besides use them to get into 18 and over concerts… We always knew that one of the parental units would just happen to appear and we’d get nothing besides a hangover and a grounding.”  
Abby smirked into her coffee, “Why do you think you guys still have them. You’re all good kids, you just need a ‘gentle’ reminder every now and then. Now hurry up and eat, you have to go get your girls for school.”  
As if summoned, Sheila set a full plate in front of Bonnie and they all continued to chat while Bonnie shoveled the food into her mouth. “Whoa! Slow down there Bonnie. You aren’t a vacuum, and actually need time to chew your food.” Rudy Hopkins laughed as he walked into the room, he leaned down and kissed the top of his daughter’s head. “Sorry, I have to dash. I’ve got a meeting with Mayor Lockwood and the rest of the town council.”  
Everyone groaned. “We wish you luck, honestly. If I had to sit and listen to those hypocritical morons drone on, I would probably be forced to murder someone… And I have to read research papers written by lazy adult children for a living.” Sheila stood up and gave Rudy a pat on the back as she took her dishes to the sink. “Speaking of which, I’ve got to go. Abby, I trust you’ll get this,” she gestured to the sink and leftovers. “I cook and you-“  
“Clean. Yes, yes. I know. Now get, the lot of you. I have the day off from the shop and I plan on enjoying having a nice quiet household for the next few hours.”  
After exchanging hugs and goodbyes everyone went their separate ways. After putting away the remaining food, and getting the kitchen back in order, Abby sat down. In all honesty, Abby hated having days off when nobody would be home and her mother wasn’t free to visit. Used to be that she would call Miranda and Gail to visit and they would catch up, sometimes with Liz if she was free. Ever since Miranda and Greyson’s deaths she felt her best friend’s absence. Plus, Gail and her family have been out of town for a couple of months visiting family. Now, she sits in a quiet house and tries to come to terms with this new hole in her life. Poor Elena and Jeremy, they must be missing their parents so badly.  
Gardening! Between taking the girls shopping for school and playing counselor to Jenna while she gets used to her new role in her niece and nephew’s lives, she has been neglecting her garden. With that in mind Abby went out to the shed, ready to spend the next few hours close to nature.  
***********  
“So?”  
“So… what, Caroline?” Bonnie looked at her in the rearview mirror.  
“So, what’s our fortune for the school year?” Caroline gave her an expectant look.  
“I’m not a gypsy, Care. Fortunes aren’t my thing. And I don’t know… It was a little too spot on last year. I’m not sure that I want to predict anything this year.” She glanced sideways to the passenger seat at Elena.   
Elena catching the look, rolled her eyes. “Bonnie, none knew that the loss you predicted would be my parents. I’m still 99 percent sure that it was in regards to that brutal playoff game the football team lost. Besides, you making a prediction for the school year is our tradition. Don’t take it away because of me.”  
“Fine. I predict this school year is going to be kickass… Just kidding, it’s high school so it will be alright. There will be new additions, bonds will be tested, and a new friendship will blossom into love. Also, we should beware of imposters wearing the face of friendship.”  
“Why does this prediction sound a bit more ominous than usual?” Caroline and Elena shared a glance.   
Bonnie parked the car in the student parking lot, “I don’t know what to tell you. I get what I get, nothing more and nothing less.”  
The three girls walked into the main hall of the school, “So, how’s Jeremy? Still going the druggie route?"  
Elena laughed, “Care, your bluntness is just…” Shaking her head she smiled, “Never change. And unfortunately, yes. Nothing Jenna or I say gets through to him.”  
The girls all shared a comforting and understanding look, not having to say anything. Elena glanced over her shoulder to Matt’s locker only to find him already looking at her. She sent him a small smile and a wave, to which he sent her a cold shoulder. Turning back, “He hates me.”  
“That’s not hate. That’s you dumped me and I’m too cool to show you, but really I’m listening to Air Supply's greatest hits.” They turned to head to their homeroom, “Hold up. Who’s this?”  
Elena looked up, “All I see is back.”  
Bonnie and Caroline rolled their eyes. “It’s a hot back.” They laughed, before Elena had to run off and go try to detox her brother. The remaining two waited until the new kid turned, each offering differing background stories for him.   
When he did turn, he noticed the two girls and sent them a nod and a smile. “Hi. I’m Stefan and I’m new… obviously. Sorry, do you think you could help me find Mr. Tanner’s American History?”  
“Sure, I’m Caroline and this is Bonnie. You just missed Elena, and you’re hot!”  
Bonnie groaned. “Jeez, Care!”  
Stefan laughed.  
Caroline shrugged, “What? I like to get all the cards out on the table.”  
Stefan pressed his lips together and nodded. “Well, in the interest of being honest, I should tell you I’ve got a pretty serious girlfriend, whom I love. That’s not me assuming that either of you are interested in me or getting a big head or whatever. Just a response to your ‘hot’ comment.”  
“Well, boo!” The blonde huffed as the made their way to the classroom. “Just f.y.i. I wasn’t actually hitting on you for me. I just currently am the only one of my friends in a relationship and I have no one to double date with. It truly sucks.”  
The young witch wrapped one of her arms around her friend’s and shook her head. “I’m so sorry that Elena and my lack of relationship is causing you distress.”  
“As well you should be.”  
Stefan watched closely, already noticing a difference between this present and the one that Damon’s memories had revealed. ‘Good,’ he thought. “No boyfriend, Bonnie. Why’s that?”  
She scrunched her brow and glanced at Caroline before looking back at Stefan. “Honestly, I don’t want to waste my time. Until I can find someone that makes me want to put the effort into a relationship, I don’t see a point in pretending just to save face. I mean, not all of us can find their soulmate in middle school like you and Ty, Care.”  
“In middle school?” Stefan seemed really surprised, he had feared that the blonde would still be the one he saw. But looking at the girl in front of him, he realized that she seemed more confident and happier. Still brutally honest and bubbly, but definitely more content.  
“If you want to get technical, we found each other in preschool but things like cooties and embarrassment kept us apart. Plus, he’s kind of a huge dick. Don’t get me wrong, I love him but lord does that boy love to aggravate me.”  
“Yeah. It is pretty hilarious to watch their Tyler and Care show.” Bonnie replied as Elena came into the room and sat down in front of her facing them. “Elena, this is Stefan. Stefan, this is Elena. Stefan has some super serious girlfriend that is also the love of his life.”  
She quirked an eyebrow. “And how do you know this?”  
“Care was trying to auction us off like cattle, because our collective loneliness is killing her double date vibes.” Bonnie shrugged, with an apologetic look on her face, but her impish eyes told a different story.  
“Ah. It all is making sense. Sooo, Stefan. Tell us about this girl. What’s her name? How’d you two meet? Is she nice? And do you think she would be willing to bite the bullet and go on a double date with our dear friend Caroline?” Elena asked innocently.  
Everyone laughed when Caroline said, “Answer the question.”  
“Okay. Okay. Her name is Lexi. I met her when I was pretty young; so young, that it feels like she’s pretty much always been there. Lexi and I were best friends, until one day my whirlwind of a brother said something that made me realize that I can’t lose her. She’s everything. Let’s see.. She is one of the nicest people you will ever meet, but she won’t hesitate to kick your ass if she feels you need it. And your Caroline reminds me a bit of her, so I think they’d probably get on great. As for double dates, she loves nothing more than when she gets the opportunity to embarrass me.”  
The three girls all aww’d after he finished giving them a brief summary of his girlfriend. “See? That is what I’m waiting for. I want a guy who can’t help but smile when he talks about me. Someone who I can be real and honest with and won’t run away with his tail between his legs. Someone who gives as good as he gets.”  
Elena turned to Bonnie and grabbed her hand, “I agree.” Before she could say more another one of their friends walked into the mostly filled classroom.  
“Sarah!” Bonnie said with a smile. “Gods, I’ve missed you. Never go away for the summer and visit family again.”  
Sarah laughed, “Right, I’m sure my mother would love that. ‘Sorry mom, we can’t go visit Nana and Papa this summer because Bonnie forbade it. I know that they are getting really old, but my friends are just way more important.’ Yeah, I can just see the reaction now.”  
Caroline smiled, “Sarah, this is-“  
“Stefan. Yeah, I know. Hey, ‘cuz. Sorry, we weren’t able to see you and Damon last night, we didn’t get in until early this morning.”  
He stood up and gave his great great great neice a hug. “No worries. You didn’t really miss much. Just Damon being Damon.”  
“So impatiently waiting, while drinking and being snarky.”  
“Got it in one.” They laughed and everyone sat down.  
“Oh my gosh, you are the Stefan from all of the stories that Sarah used to tell us about you.” Bonnie exclaimed. “To be honest, we thought she made you and your brother up!”  
He looked at her questioningly, “Why’s that?”  
“We literally never met you and she never had any photos of when she would hang out with you guys.”  
Elena jumped in, “Plus, the way she would describe you guys, was sorta larger than life. Like you guys were a lot older than us.”  
Stefan and Sarah shared an amused glance. “To be fair, Stefan has the soul of someone well over the age of a 100 years old. Really he’s an old grandpa. I mean, if it were up to him he and Lexi would be married and spending the rest of their days sitting in a rocking chair on their porch, wrapped up in each other.”  
They all looked at him. “Apparently, I have to graduate and not be a school dropout. My girl doesn’t like lazy people.”  
Before they could say more the bell chimed throughout the halls and classroom, signaling the start of the school year and their first class. Only the two Salvatores noticed the crow sitting on a tree branch outside, next to the window. They both smiled to themselves, before focusing on the douchebag known as their history teacher.  
The bird seemed to gaze intently at the young witch, before cawing and flying off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How was this so far? I know there was no Damon in chapter, but we finally got to see a Bonnie that we all can recognize.   
> Here’s what you need to know so far:   
> 1) Only Stefan, Sheila and Damon know the full scope of everything.   
> 2) Zach, Gail, and Sarah all know about the Salvatore bros being vamps. But they do know that Damon is the protector of the Bennett line.  
> 3) The girls all know about Bonnie being a witch, they don’t know the full scope and mostly just think that she’s psychic.   
> 4) Stefan and Lexi for the win! So, I’m sure that some people thought I was hinting at a Caroline/Stefan relationship when I talked about the blonde he wanted to try with. But it was Lexi. In my mind, seeing Damon kill her made him realize that he loved her. I like to imagine her trying really hard to deny her feelings before finally giving in to Stefan’s puppy dog eyes.  
> 5) Bonnie does know about vampires, but has yet to meet one. So, she doesn’t automatically think about them. And she still hasn’t touched Stefan yet, so she’s in the dark about what he is, but not what she is.  
> 6) Abby is still around and Rudy is actually present for his child’s life… Whaaaaat?? Sheila helped Abby desiccate Mikael, which I will probably go into more. But she didn’t have to go to the dark side or fear using her powers.   
> 7) Rudy does know about all the witch stuff and is actually okay with it. Plus, it helps that him and Sheila get along.  
> 8) Sarah Salvatore has been a part of their group since they were kids. I think this, in part, helped keep Caroline from being so self-conscious. Plus, Bonnie was more grounded and confident because of her parents. Then there’s the whole Tyler and Caroline thing, so it's safe to say that Caroline doesn’t feel threatened by Elena.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoa! Let me just say that I am very happy that you all seemed to enjoy my last chapter. It makes me so happy to read your comments/reviews. It’s even better when you guys seem to be telling me that my story is going in the right direction. Here’s to hoping it continues.

Mystic Grill

Bonnie walked into the Grill with her three closest friends and looked around. 

“Look, there’s Ty and Stefan. They are already getting along. Those double dates are going to happen sooner than I thought!” The blonde corralled her friends into following her to where the two boys were sitting.

“And this, right here, is my gorgeous girlfriend, Caroline. Who, if left alone for two long, will most certainly take over the universe and us silly mortals would just happily comply with her ever whim.” Tyler grinned as he pulled Caroline into his lap and gave her a kiss. “Care-bear, girls, this is Stefan. He’s going to try out for the football team. You should see him, guy’s got a killer arm!”

“Oh, we are all old friends. We all have Tanner together.”

Tyler shook his head, “Ugh, Tanner is an ass. Which sucks, because he’s also the football coach. Just try not to look him in the eye or he will attack like the snake he is.” 

Everyone grimaced in agreement.

“Oh look, there’s Matt. I’m going to go say hi,” the caramel skinned Salvatore said before standing up and heading to where he was wiping down a countertop.

Bonnie watched the two talk, knowing how much the girl liked him. A big part of her wanted Matt to finally realize that the perfect girl, also happened to be his best friend. Especially since Elena was never going to do anything but break his heart. She and he just wouldn’t fit. But… another smaller part knew that despite their incompatibility, part of Elena did love him. So she didn’t want her friend to feel hurt or betrayed when Matt ultimately fell in love with Sarah, the girl he shares all his secrets to. 

She turned from the couple and looked at Elena, just in time to see the look of resigned acceptance. Looks like the doe-eyed girl could see the writing on the wall, after all.

“So, Bonnie… Your last name is Bennett, right?”

Bonnie looked over to see the new kid looking at her with a look of interest and something else she couldn’t quite place. “Yup.”

“Does that mean that you are related to Sheila Bennett?” He asked with a small smile.

“That’s right. She’s my grams. How do you know her?”

“Well, I met her when I was younger and I sometimes sit in on a few of her classes with my older brother. She’s absolutely amazing.”

Bonnie, surprised and pleased to find out that he knew her grams, lit up with a blinding smile. “She is amazing. But if you really want to see her at her best, try crashing one of our Bennett family reunions. Honestly, she and her sister, my great aunt Jo, are a riot. My cousin Lucy and I sometimes just sit back and watch the two of them. Although, if I’m speaking truthfully, everyone says that that will be Lucy and I in fifty years or so.”

“It’s true,” Caroline chimed in. “If you were to ever see the two of them together, you would think that they were sisters. Lucy, is honestly so cool!”

Tyler hugged her closer, “Lucy is definitely cool.”

The blonde playfully rolled her eyes, “Of course you’d say that, you always had a huge crush on her when we were younger.”

Tyler grinned, “Well, she’s beautiful, older than us, and wore a leather jacket… what’s not to like? It’s really too bad that her and Mason are practically married.” Caroline pinched him, and he laughed. “Though, you are right, Stefan. Grams is probably the only reason I have a father who I’m able to talk to and a mother who isn’t in rehab.”

Stefan scrunched his brow in confusion.

“Let’s just say that when I was younger, my dad was a huge dick and not the best husband. Well, Grams saw how my dad was and talked to him, and it must have been a good talking to because after that it was like I had a new father and my mom had a new husband.”

“Do you know what it was about?” Stefan instantly felt bad for prying, “If you don’t mind my asking.”

Everyone at the table shared a conspiratorial look before Tyler gave Stefan a sly grin. “Let’s just say I have a vague idea.”

Elena leaned forward, “What about you Stefan? We know you have this amazing girlfriend and an older brother, tell us more about them. Are we going to meet them ever?”

“Actually, Damon is-“

“Oh. My. God! Who is that delicious piece of man cake?”

“I’m right here, Caroline.”

“I love you and you are so fine it is ridiculous. But… I am not blind.”

By this point the group had turned to look at the raven haired man who had just walked through the door. Before he could take another step into the establishment they saw Sarah abandon Matt and jump into the stranger’s arms with a squeal. He smiled and said something to her that had her releasing him and laughing.

Suddenly, he glanced up and Bonnie was caught in his gaze which seemed to see into the very depths of her soul. Chills erupted along her arms, tingles ignited in her belly, and her breath seemed nonexistent. Frozen, she watched as he continued to stared at her while he leaned and whispered something into her friend’s ear. Had she been able to tear her gaze away, she would have noticed twin grins appeared on both Sarah and Stefan’s faces. When the couple started walking towards them, it was Stefan’s voice that finally broke the spell he had cast over her.

“As I was about to say, my brother Damon and the love of my life, aka Lexi are meeting me here.” The raven haired man and Sarah had stopped in front of their table. “Guys, this is Lexi and my brother Damon.”

Once again Bonnie had to shake herself from studying Damon. His name was Damon. Finally looking at something other than this man, she realized that he had a blonde woman with him. For a moment Bonnie panicked, thinking this was his girlfriend. Then she realized that Stefan had his arm around her waist and they were looking at each other lovingly. “Thank the goddess! Wait… What is wrong with me? Since when have I ever cared about whether or not someone had a girlfriend?”

Realizing that everyone was standing and saying hi, Bonnie found her voice. “Hi, Lexi! I’m so happy to meet you. Stefan could not stop talking about you.”

Lexi snickered before kissing her boyfriend’s cheek. “This is what I like to hear. In fact, I believe he may have even promised that we would go on a double date with someone already. It’s been a day and he’s already filling up our social calendar!”

Elena smiled, already liking the new addition. Yet she couldn’t seem to stop herself from peaking at Stefan’s brother, who was the definition of sinfully good-looking. Taking a steadying breath she smiled and took a step closer and introduced herself. “Hi, I’m Elena! I am in a few classes with your brother.”

For the first time since walking into the grill, Damon looked away from Bonnie and down to Elena’s hand. He furrowed his brow and narrowed his eyes at the offered limb. For some reason it looked foreign. He had spent the last sixteen years thinking about seeing Bonnie for the first time and wondering how it would feel to come face to face with Elena. He didn’t think it would feel like this. He knew he didn’t love Elena, that he never truly had, but he thought he would feel something other than annoyance at seeing her. Shaking himself he glanced up to look at her face and sent a quick closed-mouth smile her way. He grasped her hand and said, “Nice to meet you Elena. Now…” He sent her a sly smile before turning to look back at Bonnie, “Please, tell me about you friend.”

Elena, who was used to guy’s being interested in her pixie of a friend, shrugged. “Where to begin? Her name is Bonnie, she’s a Libra, my bestie since diapers, and she’s the most understanding and level headed person who also isn’t afraid to tell you when you are being an idiot. She also doesn’t waste her time. So, if I were you and I was interested in her, I would get down on my knees and pray to the goddess above that you are worth her time. Otherwise, sit down and take a number.”

Damon, blinked slowly and looked back and forth between the two girls, before turning and sharing a look with his brother. He turned back to face the brunet, “If you think that I haven’t been silently sending up prayers to any and every goddess and god (be they spaghetti or elephant gods), since the moment I walking into this building and saw this green-eyed glory… Well, then you are sadly mistaken.” He took rounded the table until he stood in front of the pint sized witch. Reaching out a hand, he said, “Hi, I’m Damon. And I think you and I are going to have a lot to talk about.”

He knew the instant that she felt what he was, and he tightened his hand ever so slightly. “May I just say, I have actually met many members of your family on numerous occasions? I’d be lying if I didn’t say that your Grams’ no nonsense attitude and quick wit are just a couple of things that I appreciate most about her.”

“I… Who… What?”

“Perhaps they have mentioned me… I knew Emily quite well. In fact, she once entrusted me with what she treasured most in the world.”

Bonnie, quickly understanding what Damon was trying to say, looked over at Stefan and Sarah in shock, only to see them both watching her with small, hopeful smiles. As her eyes found the blue-eyed gaze of Damon, she looked deeply and found no malice. Only… hope? 

Clearing her throat she smiled and said, “Now, that you mention it, yes they have. I didn’t realize the “demon” that they always went on about was actually Stefan’s brother. What a small world.”

Sighing in relief, Damon quickly kissed her knuckles before lowering her hand. Although, it should be noted that he did not release her hand, and instead would brush his thumb back and forth over where his lips had touched her skin. “Yes, your grandmother and aunt do enjoy laughing it up at my expense. Actually, I believe that could be said for all women in which Bennett blood runs through them.”

Stefan laughed, “Would you believe that your mother and Lucy once forced my brother to sit still while they painted his nails and gave him a makeover?”

“And they didn’t even paint my nails black! Look at me,” he says while using his free hand to gesture at his black clad body. Black shirt, black jacket, black jeans, and black biker boots. “Color is soo not my color!”

Bonnie burst out laughing at the exaggerated face he made while wiggling his eyebrows. She had no clue why he was holding her hand, or why she was letting him. But she could admit that after her initial awareness of death, she felt nothing but comforted and safe with him. Okay, so maybe not nothing, but that was too much for her to try to figure out now. 

Seeing Bonnie laughing brought a content smile to Damon’s face. He was so focus on her that he didn’t realize that everyone was watching them with different emotions displaying on their faces.

For Stefan and Lexi, it was happiness at seeing Damon’s patience finally pay off. At seeing him finally at peace, and not constantly smiling and pretending to be fine even though everyone can see that there’s a part of his mind (a big part) that is constantly thinking about Bonnie.

For Sarah, it was happiness and a little bit of shock. She always knew that her uncle was waiting for Bonnie, but she never realized how unsettled and unhappy he had been. Damon was a pro and distracting you from his distractedness. But she could tell by the way Damon was looking at her friend, like she was a goddess come to life and his most cherished gift… Damon was not going to play games or pretend for a moment longer. 

For Matt and Tyler, it was shock mixed with awe and protectiveness. To them, Bonnie was like a sister who, for the longest time they never had to worry about (even though they did). Because it was never a secret that Bonnie deserved the best, and that none of the jokers that they grew up with even came close. If any of them believed that they did, then Matt and Tyler made it clear what would happen if they upset Bonnie… Never mind the fact that Bonnie always made it very clear that she was not going to settle and start dating just because her friends were. But now, now Bonnie was standing in front of them hand in hand with a guy she had barely known for five minutes. It just didn’t compute.

For Elena and Caroline, it was brief shock but mostly glee. Their best friend, sister from a different mister, fiercest warrior, and dearest confidant finally felt it. The spark, of lust, or love, of interest, of want. Someone finally ignited interest in Bonnie and she wasn’t shying away. Nope, she was going with the flow and seeing where it took her. Maybe it was a little too soon for handholding, but from the looks on both of their faces (more so Damon’s), it wasn’t soon enough. 

Bonnie looked away first, noticed the staring and awkwardly chuckled while removing her hand from Damon’s. “Okay, us all just standing around the table is weird. Let’s sit down and order, I’m hungry.”  
The slight grief that Damon felt when Bonnie released his hand was quickly replaced by surprised joy when she scooted her chair closer to his (much closer than one would normally do with a stranger), picked up the menu and started telling him about her favorite items on the menu. They were going to have to talk, but for now it was enough. He was finally home.

****Chapter End****

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this happened. I don’t really know what I’m doing with this story, but it’s nice to write. I don’t like too much drama, unless it’s the sort where Bonnie flips everyone off and lights a match to the entire town, before riding off into the sunset without a backwards glance.   
> Hope this is okay. Leave me a review or comment letting me know what you think, what you like, what you don’t like, and any questions you may have.   
> Thanks a bunch for sticking with me. Ciao for now!

**Author's Note:**

> So what do you think? You don't care, I should get back to writing for my other stories? Fair enough, but my brain does what it wants.
> 
> Anyway, I am planning on being in 1994 for only another chapter or two. I want Damon and budding witch Bonnie to have their meet cute. Or whatever Damon's version of that is.


End file.
